1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to an in-line skate. More particularly, this invention pertains to a novel construction of boot for such a skate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, in-line skates (skates with linearly aligned rollers) have become very popular in recent years (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,033. Enthusiasts use such skates for exercise as well as participating in team sports. An example of such a team sport using in-line skates is hockey played on pavement or other hard surface rather than played on ice with traditional bladed hockey skates.
Hockey enthusiasts who wish to partake in an in-line skating version of hockey commonly desire that the in-line skate have an appearance which conforms with conventional bladed hockey skates. As a result, such enthusiasts desire an in-line skate with a sewn boot (preferably having a leather boot upper) as opposed to the molded boot which is common in in-line skates.
While sewn boots can be readily made, they have an inherent disadvantage for use in in-line skating. Namely, the surface on which in-line hockey skating is performed is rough and abrasive compared to ice. As a result, a sewn leather boot will deteriorate faster on an abrasive surface when used in in-line skating.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an in-line skate with a sewn boot which can give an appearance of a hockey skate while at the same time accommodating high abrasion common during in-line skating.